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News releaseJuly 5, 2005 Fifty-five foot tepee erected by PSAC in honour of First NationsYELLOWKNIFE – The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) has erected a huge tepee at the Assembly of First Nations’ (AFN) Trade Show located at the Sir John Franklin High School, as part of an exhibit during the 26th AFN general assembly being held from July 5 to 7, 2005. The tepee may be the largest ever erected in the N.W.T. or the North. The poles for the tepee weigh a total of 6,000 pounds, were cut in southern Alberta and shipped to Yellowknife for the event. Dene artist Archie Beaulieu is painting the tepee’s canvas, which will be completed at the Dene General Assembly in Rae in August 2005. The official estimate is that the AFN event will attract over 8,000 delegates, observers, participants and visitors to Yellowknife. “The PSAC, Union of Northern Workers and the Dene Nation entered into a joint research project in November 2004 regarding Dene Workers’ Rights,” says Jean-François Des Lauriers, Regional Executive Vice-President - North. “The PSAC is a proud supporter of First Nations’ peoples, and the tepee is symbolic of our commitment as a union to building a stronger working relationship with Aboriginal leaders and communities regionally and nationally.” The event will also mark the unofficial launch of the PSAC’s National Aboriginal Inuit and Métis (NAIM) Network. PSAC National President Nycole Turmel will be attending the event. “The creation of NAIM Network is a major step forward in PSAC’s long history of solidarity with its Aboriginal members in advancing their rights in the workplace and society,” says Turmel. “The NAIM Network aims to provide a unified voice for the diverse community of PSAC’s Aboriginal, Inuit and Métis members, so that together, they can increase their involvement at all levels in our Union, empower each other, and advance their rights within and beyond our Union.” - 30 - For information and interviews, please contact: Don Dudar: Cellular (416) 559-8709 32-050705 |